Pablakhali wildlife sanctuary of Bangladesh

Introduction:
In 1962 it was established as a Game Reserve
and in 1983 it declared wildlife sanctuary.It is nearly 112 km north-east of the Chittagong Hill
Tracts(CHT).Its area is 42,087 hectare.It is managed by the CHT North Forest Division.

Forest type:
There are three types of forest seen in the Pablakhali wildlife sanctuary such as tropical wet evergreen forest, tropical semi evergreen forest and tropical wet deciduous forest.

Wildlife of the Sanctuary:
Notable animals are the following:-

• Asiatic Elephant(Elephas maximus)
• Capped Leaf Monkey(Trachypithecus pileatus)
• Rhesus Macaque(Macaca mulata)
• Hoolock Gibon(Hylobates hoolock)
• Jungle Cat(Felis chaus)
• Python(Python molurus) etc.

Conclusion:
It is an important wildlife sanctuary in the CHT. In 2009 ,IPAC(Integrated Protected Area Co-management) started its function in this wildlife sanctuary.It will increase conservation efforts of biodiversity.

Prepared by:
Md.Zahidur Rahman Miah
ACF,Kaptai National Park
Bangladesh.

Lawachara National Park of Bangladesh

Introduction:
The park was originally under West Banugach Reserve Forest of Moulovibazar Range.The park was notified in 1996 and its area is 1250 hectare.The park is situated in Kamalganj thana under Moulovibazar district and is nearly 160 km northeast from Dhaka and 60 km south from Sylhet.

Forest type:
Forest type is semi evergreen. Forests are un even aged and multistoried.

Biodiversity:
The wildlife diversity at the Lawachara National Park consists of 460 species,of which 167 are plants,4 amphibians,6 reptiles,246 birds,20 mammals and 17 insects.

Animals:

• Hoolock Gibon
• Assamese Macaque
• Slow Loris
• Leopard Cat
• Indian Giant Squirrel
• Hill Myna
• Oriental Pied Hornbill
• Phayre's Leaf Monkey
• Rhesus Macaque
• Marten
• Wild boar
• Capped Langur
• Barking Deer
• Racket-tailled Drongo
  
• Red Junglefowl etc.

Plants:

• Teak
• Telsur
• Jarul
• Batna
• Rokton
• Lohakat
• Chapalish
• Civit
• Udal
• Champa
• Awal
• Uriam
• Amlaki
• Toon
• Cham etc.

Socio-cultural Life:
Bordered by 4 tea estates and 18 villages of which 2 inside,4 adjoining and 12 located nearby.Two forest villages Lawachara Punjii and Magurchara Punjii are located inside the park inhabited by Khasia ethnic minority established by Forest Department in 1940.The Khasia grow betel leaf inside the park.

Conclusion:
The Lawachara National Park is now managed under co-management approach.Local people and forest department are working side by side to conserve its biodiversity.

Prepared by:
Md.Zahidur Rahman Miah
ACF,Kaptai National Park
Bangladesh.

Rema-Kalenga wildlife sanctuary of Bangladesh

Introduction:
Rema-kalenga , formerly a part of the Tarap hill reserve forest of Sylhet Forest Division.It was declared as a wild life sanctuary on 7 January 1982.Its area is 1,795 hectare.The sanctuary encompasses several hills of different elevations and low lying valleys.

Location:
The sanctuary is located at chunarughat thana under Hobiganj district in Sylhet Divition.It is nearly 80 km southwest of Sylhet.One can easily go to sanctuary by motorcycle and it takes 45 minutes from chunarughat.

Forest type:
Forests are belonged to mixed evergreen. Under story trees are evergreen and dominant trees are deciduous.

Biodiversity:
A total of 606 plant species have been recorded from this sanctuary(Uddin 2002).The wild life diversity in the sanctuary consists of 229, of which 37 species are mammals,167 species are birds ,7 species are amphibians and 18 species are reptiles.Notable animals are Barking Deer,Hoolock Gibon,Slow Loris,Wild boar,Capped Leaf Monkey,Python,Kau Dhanesh etc. Notable plant species are Teak,Chapalish, Chikrashi, Mahagony,Bahera,Hargoja,Goda,Garjan etc.

Ethnic communities:
Eight ethnic communities live in the Rema-Kalenga wild life sanctuary area.These are Deb-Barma(Tripura),Urang,Kharia,Santal,Goala,Munda,Kurmi and Bunargi(Uddin 2002).

Conclusion:
The sanctuary supports the local communities by providing fuel wood ,fodder,house building material,medicinal plants ,timer and non-timber forest products.It supports trails to the tourists.We should conserve its biodiversity.

References:
Uddin,M.Z.2002.EXPLORATION ,DOCUMENTATION AND GERMPLASM COLLECTION OF PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES OF REMA-KALENGA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY(HABIGANJ) IN BANGLADESH.Department of Botany,University of Dhaka,Dhaka-1000,Bangladesh.

Prepared by:
Md.Zahidur Rahman Miah
ACF,Kaptai National Park
Bangladesh.

Satchari National Park of Bangladesh

Introduction:
Satchari National Park is an important protected area and managed by the Sylhet Forest Division.It is established in 2005 and its area is 243 hectare.

Location:
The park is located at Chunarughat thana under Hobigonj district in Sylhet division.It is nearly 130 km east-northeast of Dhaka on the former Dhaka-Sylhet highway and takes only 3 hours.The park is approximately 60 km southwest from Srimongal city.

Forest type:
Generally forests are uneven aged and multistoried.Understorey trees are evergreen and the large dominant trees are deciduous.Forest type is semi evergreen.

Biodiversity:
The wildlife diversity in the Satchari National Park consists of 197 species,of which 149 are birds,24 species are mammals,18 species are reptiles and 6 species are amphibians. Notable animal species are Hoolock Gibon,Macaque,Phayre's Langur,Barking Deer,Skipper Frog ,Wild boar,Slow Loris,Asiatic Black Bear,Fishing Cat,Civets,Mongoose,Red Jungle fowl,Drongo etc. and plant species are Garjan,Koroi,Chapalish,Civit,Narikeli,Bandorhola,Jarul,Uriam,Shimul,Goda,Udal,Champa,Amloki,Banboroi etc.

Socio-cultural life:
The park is intimately surrounded by a number of tea estates,villages,towns and cultivated fields.Nine tea estates are located close to the park.Only one Forest Village,Tiprapara inhabited by 24 households of Tripura tribe ,is located inside the park.People from fourteen surronding villages ,specially the tea estate laborers and forest villagers ,depend on forest resources in various degrees.

Conclusion:
Forest department now manages the Satchari National Park with the co-management approach.Local people and the forest department are working side by side to conserve the biodiversity.

Prepared by:
Md.Zahidur Rahman Miah
ACF,Kaptai National Park
Bangladesh.